The Fittest Man on Earth says sleeping in, taking ice baths, and spending time in the sauna maximizes his muscle recovery
Justin Medeiros has a sauna and cold plunge in his home gym, which helps him sleep and recover after long 5 hour training sessions.
Courtesy of EightSleep
- The 2021 CrossFit Games champ Justin Medeiros said sleep and recovery are crucial for his training.
- He keeps a careful nighttime routine and aims for at least eight hours of sleep to perform well.
- He also uses a sauna and cold plunge for muscle recovery in his home gym.
CrossFit's Justin Medeiros says ice baths, sleep, and sauna sessions help him perform at his peak.
Medeiros, who was named the Fittest Man on Earth as the winner of the 2021 CrossFit Games, said now that he's graduated from university, he'll be going "full-time CrossFit," devoting more time than ever to his training and ramping up his self-care routine in the process.
"What's really changed this year is the amount of time I'll be able to spend on recovery," he told Insider in an interview coordinated through his partnership with leading sleep fitness company Eight Sleep.
The 23-year-old star athlete said he typically works out for five hours on training days, and will ramp up to even longer sessions as competition season nears. As a result, sleeping enough and helping his muscles recover with sauna and ice bath sessions is helping bring his fitness to the next level.
"There's so many people that go into the gym and bust their butts training super hard but I think there's a lot of room to move that needle outside the gym," Medeiros said.
Medeiros said sleep is the biggest factor in his training performance
As an elite athlete, Medeiros said he spends a lot of time and energy keeping his body in peak shape, from dialing in nutrition and eating 5,000 calories a day, to working on mobility for demanding exercises like handstand walks.
But the most noticeable factor in his routine is sleep.
"If I don't have a good night of sleep, that whole day of training is messed up," he said.
Medeiros said his performance and energy is best when he's getting at least eight hours a night, and more on rest days, when he'll turn off his alarm and sleep in.
To prioritize a good night's rest, he takes CBD oil before bed, spends about 20 minutes winding down with mobility exercises, and turns off all electronics before bedtime at 10 pm.
"It's a struggle for me to get myself to go to bed so I've found having my nightly routine is really helpful," he said.
He said Eight Sleep has been a "game changer," with temperature control tech for a comfortable rest and sleep tracking to help him stay on target.
He has a sauna and cold plunge in his home gym
Medeiros said he's set up his home gym to be "the ultimate training compound" so he doesn't need to leave home to use a sauna and cold plunge daily.
A typical routine will include 15 minutes in the sauna, followed by two to three minutes in the cold plunge, repeated for a few cycles.
Research suggests both sauna and ice baths can speed muscle recovery, reduce soreness, promote relaxation, and even help boost endurance.